Who Wins The Super Bowl?

If the Giants do win this Super Bowl, we need to start a poll to see if it is believed that would be the biggest upset in NFL history. I recall only two Super Bowls that I would consider comparable, the Jets beating the Colts in the 1969 Super Bowl and the Broncos beating the Packers in 1998. I picked the Colts and Packers so I got both of those wrong. The measure of those upsets to me is mostly unrelated to the teams and differences in their respective seasons. The AFL beating the NFL in 1969 was huge because it gave the AFL credibility. In January 1998, the NFC had beaten the AFC in 13 straight Super Bowls, so that upset was huge. There isn't that kind of extraneous importance on this game, and I think the mismatch on paper is much greater this time. This game won't be played on paper, it will be played on a big screen HDTV for all of us.

Go Patriots!

Chris

This wouldn't even be in the same league as the Jets beating the Colts. Forty years later, I'm sill trying to figure out how that happened.

This wouldn't even be in the same league as the Jets beating the Colts. Forty years later, I'm sill trying to figure out how that happened.

The impact won't be nearly as big, no question, but the Jets were a nice team with a quarterback that had a flair for making things happen. I admit I thought the Colts would win, but thought the Jets had a chance. On paper, it was a fair match up if comparing what the teams had done during the year and looking at the rosters. The Patriots have blown out the Cowboys, a team that beat the Giants twice this year and the Patriots have a quarterback that has won three Super Bowls. The Patriots are a huge favorite and I give the Giants no more than a 1 in 50 chance of winning this game. I wouldn't give the Giants a 1 in 15 chance of winning during the regular season, but with Super Bowl pressure and hoopla, look for a laugher.

If the Giants do win this Super Bowl, we need to start a poll to see if it is believed that would be the biggest upset in NFL history. I recall only two Super Bowls that I would consider comparable, the Jets beating the Colts in the 1969 Super Bowl and the Broncos beating the Packers in 1998. I picked the Colts and Packers so I got both of those wrong. The measure of those upsets to me is mostly unrelated to the teams and differences in their respective seasons. The AFL beating the NFL in 1969 was huge because it gave the AFL credibility. In January 1998, the NFC had beaten the AFC in 13 straight Super Bowls, so that upset was huge. There isn't that kind of extraneous importance on this game, and I think the mismatch on paper is much greater this time. This game won't be played on paper, it will be played on a big screen HDTV for all of us.

Go Patriots!

Chris

The Jets were 18 point underdogs in the 1969 Super Bowl, so I think that would remain the biggest upset.

You appear to be completely dismissing the importance of the team's recent play and basing your analysis solely on aggregate performance throughout the whole season. One must keep both in mind in my opinion, and the Giants certainly have played on a level with the Patriots the last 4 games. Actually, the last two opponents they beat were superior to those the Pats played and it was on the road.

If the Pats win, it won't be from a Giants Q4 meltdown that the Pats are accustomed to seeing from their opponents. They are extremely confident right now....just like Joe was back in '69.

EDIT: Just checked and the Jets were 17 point underdogs and the Broncos 12 in 1998. This one is between 11 1/2 and 12 points. Also, the Pats were 14 point underdogs in 2002 against the Rams, so technically that is the 2nd biggest upset.

The Patriots are a huge favorite and I give the Giants no more than a 1 in 50 chance of winning this game. I wouldn't give the Giants a 1 in 15 chance of winning during the regular season, but with Super Bowl pressure and hoopla, look for a laugher.

Those sound like some real fanboy odds, because there already have been 3 upsets with greater odds against them ('69 Jets, '98 Broncos' '02 Pats) in the 41 Super Bowls. Historically speaking, that would put the odds at better than 1 in 14. Furthermore, I wouldn't consider an 11 1/2 spread "huge". It is "large" but not huge.

Those sound like some real fanboy odds, because there already have been 3 upsets with greater odds against them ('69 Jets, '98 Broncos' '02 Pats) in the 41 Super Bowls. Historically speaking, that would put the odds at better than 1 in 14. Furthermore, I wouldn't consider an 11 1/2 spread "huge". It is "large" but not huge.

Those sound like some real fanboy odds, because there already have been 3 upsets with greater odds against them ('69 Jets, '98 Broncos' '02 Pats) in the 41 Super Bowls. Historically speaking, that would put the odds at better than 1 in 14. Furthermore, I wouldn't consider an 11 1/2 spread "huge". It is "large" but not huge.

I hadn't seen the 11 1/2 spread, thought it was 14, but it isn't game time yet and I will stick with my prediction, the score will be very lopsided. I am not even a Patriots fan, I just accept the team is much better than the Giants. The 18-0 record so far is no fluke.

I hadn't seen the 11 1/2 spread, thought it was 14, but it isn't game time yet and I will stick with my prediction, the score will be very lopsided. I am not even a Patriots fan, I just accept the team is much better than the Giants. The 18-0 record so far is no fluke.

Chris

I doubt that the last two Giants wins have been flukes either. Do you really think they got lucky and played both GB and Dallas when they off their game? The Giants defense made them look bad. Also remember the close game with the Pats to close out the season. The only motivation for either team in that game was the Pats undefeated season.

Surprising you're not a Pats fan given you think it will be so lopsided. What makes you believe the Pats will suddenly play better in this game than they have up till now in the playoffs? New England couldn't win lopsided with either the #3 and #5 seeded teams in the AFC. Meanwhile the Giants beat the top two seeds, so I'll have to assume you think they're not bringing the same game they were wearing when they put them down, right? Is there something on the injury report that I'm not aware of that maybe I need to be enlightened on? All I know about is that Brady has been gimpy.

I doubt that the last two Giants wins have been flukes either. Do you really think they got lucky and played both GB and Dallas when they off their game? The Giants defense made them look bad. Also remember the close game with the Pats to close out the season. The only motivation for either team in that game was the Pats undefeated season.

Surprising you're not a Pats fan given you think it will be so lopsided. What makes you believe the Pats will suddenly play better in this game than they have up till now in the playoffs? New England couldn't win lopsided with either the #3 and #5 seeded teams in the AFC. Meanwhile the Giants beat the top two seeds, so I'll have to assume you think they're not bringing the same game they were wearing when they put them down, right? Is there something on the injury report that I'm not aware of that maybe I need to be enlightened on? All I know about is that Brady has been gimpy.

only new injury report i heard was plaxico not practicing because of his ankle hopefully it'll be a non factor since he guaranteed this sunday 23-17